The present disclosure relates to refrigeration compressors. More particularly, it relates to reciprocating piston compressors utilized to compress gases such as low global warming potential (GWP) and natural refrigerants.
A variety of refrigerant compressor configurations are in common use. Among these configurations are: screw compressors; scroll compressors; and reciprocating piston compressors. In a reciprocating compressor a piston head is driven between a lower position at which a fluid to be compressed enters the compression cylinder, and an upper or “top” position at which the compressed fluid is driven outwardly of the cylinder
An exemplary reciprocating piston compressor has a pin coupling each piston to the associated connecting rod. Such wrist pins may be in a journaled rotating fit to one or both of the piston and rod. In one exemplary configuration, a central portion of the pin is journaled in an end portion of the rod and end portions of the pin are journaled in associated bores in the piston. The pin may be retained against axial movement by clips abutting ends of the pins and partially captured in open channels in the piston bores. Alternative retainers include polymeric washers.
Separately, in the piston engine field, a proposal has been made to use plugs (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,289,758 and 6,048,126) to position a wrist pin. In the compressor art, concealed plugs have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,777. Additionally plugs have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,026.